Friends or Lovers?
by thatPinkLadyy
Summary: Quinn Fabray has always been a little sad over her breakup with Sam Evans. What will happen the summer before their senior year? And how will Quinn's friendship with Mercedes suffer? The rekindling of Fabrevans
1. Chapter 1

Summer was upon the students of McKinley High School. Quinn Fabray was determined to get her act together this summer. She had a lot of things to work through, including dealing with her feelings about Beth and losing her. Mostly, she was looking forward to strengthening her friendships that meant most to her. Santana, Brittany, and Sam were the three people who were always there for Quinn. She was still on good terms with Kurt and Mercedes, but Mercedes was distant lately and Kurt was much too busy with Blaine.

So, to start her summer out, Quinn decided to spend a weekend at the lake house her family stayed at for July 4th every year. All the blonde did was relax. After getting a nice golden tan, swimming in the lake, and watching television for four days, Quinn was ready to get back to Lima. Driving home, she kept thinking of Sam Evans. She wasn't quite sure why, but he had been on her mind a lot lately. Him and his family, but mostly that Beiber impersonator himself. Smiling at the thought, Quinn scrolled through her ipod and found a recording Sam had done for her of her favorite song, _For the First Time_ by the Script. As she sang along, she remembered how wonderful the blonde duo had sounded together.

Quinn picked her phone up and called Mercedes. She needed some girl time, and assumed Santana and Brittany were getting it on since neither one answered their phone.

"Hey, MJ. Are you busy?  
>"Um, n-no. Just hanging out at home. What's up girl?" Mercedes answered her.<p>

"Think we could hang out? I need to talk through some stuff."

Mercedes looked at Sam and motioned for him to be quiet. They were hanging out and he was making her watch Star Wars. She was going to have to make the boy go home, since they were still dating in secret. "Yeah, _Quinn_, we can hang out. I was just watching Say Yes to the Dress on my DVR. Grab some junkfood and we can have a real girl's night. See you soon." Hanging up the phone, Mercedes looked at Sam. He looked down at their clasped hands in his lap. "Sorry, Boo. You gotta go. She is like my sister. I really think I should tell her at least."

"Please don't." Sam said, pleading with Mercedes a little bit. "If anyone tells her, it should be me. Quinn is my best friend. She has basically saved me from myself, and I don't want you to tell her. I want to. I am just waiting for your okay." Mercedes just nodded. The two spent a few more minutes together before Mercedes made him get off the couch to head home.

Out on the porch, Mercedes spent a few minutes kissing Sam goodbye. "You really gotta go, Sam. Q will be here any minute." They kissed one more time before Mercedes smacked his toned ass and he headed out to his Jeep.

It was too late though. Quinn was driving by as they kissed. The blonde girl actually stopped her car and watched one of her best friends make out with her ex boyfriend. Sam Evans, the only boy who ever really saw her for who she was. She almost cried right then. Instead, Quinn drove around the block. She and Sam drove past each other on her way back to the Jones residence and he waved at her. Quinn just cursed him to herself.

Refusing to let it affect her, and giving them both the benefit of the doubt, Quinn decided to go hang out with Mercedes anyway. Maybe she would tell Quinn once they were together.


	2. Chapter 2

While she drove around the block again, Quinn really started to wonder about Mercedes and Sam. Were they just having a small summer fling? Had this been going on since Prom? Her mind flashed back to the week all those rumors were flying around about Sam. Mercedes had been the first one to accuse Sam of everything. She always jumped on the bandwagon when the rumors started to fly, and was quick to spread gossip. Mercedes had done the same thing when Quinn was pregnant, now that she thought about it. Why were these girls such good friends?

Still, Quinn managed to pull into the driveway of the Jones house. When she lived there, it was one of the first times Quinn ever felt like she had a family. Time and time again, Mrs. Jones had scolded Quinn when she saw her in public for not coming over for dinner or at least stopping by. The only other time Quinn had such a sense of belonging was when she was with the Evans family. Sighing, she shut her iPod off and threw it in the console of her little red car. The courage to get through this was inside of her, Quinn knew that, but now, what were they supposed to talk about? There was no way Quinn was going to reveal to Mercedes that she had been thinking and dreaming about Sam non-stop lately. Not when Mercedes was slipping her tongue in his mouth. _"Damnit."_ Quinn mumbled, slamming the car door. With her bundle of Twizzlers, Raisinets, and Peanut Butter Cups, as well as two bottles of cream soda, Quinn made her way into the Jones house. Her smile was fake as could be, but thankfully it fooled the girl she considered a sister.

After about half an hour of small talk, Quinn's phone rang. It was Sam. Did he know she was there?

"Hey Sam, what's up?"

"Quinn, hey. Can I ask you a favor?" Sam asked. She could practically see how he licked his lips in anticipation. The image was so vivid in her head.

"Always." She answered. Mercedes seemed uninterested, but Quinn knew he was going to ask her to babysit. The only thing she wondered was if it was so he could take Mercedes out. Her jaw started to tighten and Quinn couldn't help but grind her teeth at the thought.

"Can you help me babysit tonight? My mom got this craft thing to do for the kids, and I just… well, I don't know how to deal with glitter and stuff. Would you come over tonight? I'll buy pizza." Sam added in with a little laugh. He still had his job at the pizza place delivering, so he got a free pizza whenever he wanted one.

Knowing Sam would be there just made Quinn giddy. She couldn't quite explain it, but what she would later identify as butterflies began to flutter in her stomach. "I'd love to help babysit. Glitter is my specialty. See you around 6?" Sam agreed and she hung up with a bright smile.

"You're going to help babysit?" Mercedes asked the attitude apparent in her voice.

"Of course. I love those kids as if they were my own siblings. I can't say no to them. Plus, if Sam tries to do this craft project all by himself, they will have to move into another apartment because this one will be destroyed." Quinn shrugged, gave Mercedes a kiss on the cheek, and bid her friend goodbye. The blonde skipped down the front steps, a victory dance of sorts. Mercedes was mad. Quinn and Sam would spend the night together.

Text to Sam

MJ: You asked Quinn to babysit?

SE: Is there a problem with that?

MJ: Yes. I am your girlfriend.

SE: I am sorry, but I still don't see the issue here.

MJ: I haven't even met your siblings, yet apparently blondie feels like Stacy and Stevie are like her brotha and sista as well.

SE: You met them. Once. Look, we just started dating. I don't want them to get attached to people and then get heartbroken when or if that person stops being in their life. It's my family, and they mean the most to me in the world. Quinn is a part of this family. You have to accept that, Mercedes.

MJ: I don't like this. I am going to have coffee with Kurt.

SE: You wanted us to be a secret. Try and remember that when you get mad at me for things.

MJ: GOODBYE

Quinn arrived at the apartment at exactly 6 PM. She was never a minute late when it came to the Evans family. The bubbly little blonde Evans answered the door before Sam even had a chance to. "Hi Princess!" Quinn cooed, picking Stacy up and swinging her around once before stepping into the apartment. Stevie walked by and high-fived Quinn before grabbing a juice box out of the fridge. "Where's Sammy?" she asked the little girl in her arms. Before Stacy could tell her a story, which Quinn could see it boiling in her mind, Sam walked into the room.

"He's right here. Hey, Q. Thanks for coming over." Sam took the little out of Quinn's arms, kissed her cheek and put her on the ground. His arms opened wide for Quinn to walk into them. Even though she wished that Sam was not so tempting, she walked right into his embrace and hugged him back just as tightly.

"Okay, let's get this art project started, and then we will eat pizza!" Sam grabbed on to Stacy's pigtails, pretending to ride her like a bike, as they made their way over to the kitchen table.

"Sun catchers! I loved these when I was little!" Quinn looked through the faux stained glass, plastic forms that came in the box. She handed Stacy the princess crown, Sam the frog, and kept the butterfly for her to paint. Stevie had expressed that he wanted no part in this project earlier, so he was watching Justice League cartoons in the living room.

They spent the better part of an hour painting these cute little creations. Sam went to go get the pizza and left Quinn to clean up. After she popped the glitter open, and made Stacy's Princess crown _very_ sparkly, she slid the three sun catchers onto the cookie sheet and into the oven to bake. "Can you do me a favor Princess? Will you wash these paint brushes carefully while I clean all the paint and stuff up?" Stacy nodded her head vigorously. She would do anything for Quinn. Stacy believed that Quinn was a real life Princess, especially after seeing her in her prom dress.

"Quinny, Sammy still loves you. I just think you should know that he has a picture of you in his room and he sings that song about being lucky in the shower _all the time!" _Stacy rolled her eyes at that, which made Quinn giggle.

"Some people aren't made to be in love, they are just… they just love each other for the people that they are. It doesn't always have to be like your mom and dad, who are a romantic love." Quinn was not sure the best way to explain it to the little girl.

"Then how come I heard him tell daddy that he still had butterflies?"


	3. Chapter 3

The rest of the evening was full of glue, and goggly eyes. Crayons and Disney movies. Quinn had glitter in her beautiful, newly short, blonde hair. Sam was an absolute mess. However, the two teens had spent the night laughing away. Quinn forgot how sad she had been lately. Sam forgot how torn he had been. It was a magnificent night. Stacy ran back and forth telling secrets. Stevie tried to get her to play soccer instead. During Aladdin, the second Disney movie on their list, Stacy fell asleep against Quinn's shoulder, her tiny feet in Sam's lap. Sam offered to carry his sister to her room, but Quinn shook her head no and did it herself. She missed being with the kids. They were like family to her and being apart from them was hard on the girl.

At the very end of this night, Quinn found herself alone with Sam Evans. Looking as handsome as ever. Even with his disheveled hair and tired eyes, Quinn could see the sparkle in him. He had enjoyed their night as well. "So…" Quinn said, standing awkwardly against the couch and running her hands through Stevie's hair. "I am thinking it is your bed time too, fella." Stevie groggily got off the couch and said goodnight to Sam. Quinn bent over and kissed the young Evans boy, making him blush and run into his bedroom. Quinn giggled along with Sam at the sight and started to clean up the arts and crafts disaster in the kitchen.

"Q, you don't have to clean…" Sam started to say as she washed paint brushes in the sink.

"I know, Sam. It's not a big deal. I don't want your mom to be upset when she gets home. She's probably had a long day and it is the last thing she will want to do." Sam started helping her. He collected stray glitter and picked glue off the kitchen table as she washed things in the sink. She decided to do the dishes while she was at it, much to Sam's dismay. As she was drying them and putting them away, She collided with Sam and they ended up face to face. Only inches away from each other were pouty lips and soft skin. Swallowing thickly, Sam moved away like the gentleman he was, offering Quinn a hand in putting the dishes away.

These were all the things that lead to Quinn Fabray standing on the porch with Sam Evans awkwardly sharing goodbyes. The moonlight shone across her face, giving her eyes almost a blue sparkle. It complimented the gold tone of her eyes rather nicely, Sam noticed. Of course he noticed. There was not a day that went by that Sam did _not_ notice Quinn's eyes. They were the gateway to her soul. They were what he first fell in love with. "I-uh-um.." Sam stammered.

"Do you have something to say?" Quinn asked, twisting the strap of her purse around nervously. She didn't want to push Sam, but if he had any valuable information, like why he was kissing Mercedes on the front porch this afternoon, she wanted to know.

"I just wanted to say thank you Quinn. I would not have gotten through that without you." A slightly disappointed look fell over Quinn's face. It was just a flash though. She quickly put a sweet smile on.

"Not even a little bit of a problem, Sam. I love those kids." The word 'love' made Sam's heart race at an unhealthy rate.

"Uh, yeah. Yeah, I know. It's just… you didn't have to… And I should of like, called someone else, or som-"

"I'm glad you called me." Quinn interrupted the boy before he found himself saying something difficult. He wasn't going to tell her about Mercedes. That was rather clear. Quinn took a step forward and hugged Sam, lacing her arms around his neck and taking in that cool, almost icy scent he liked to wear. While her lips were by his ear, Quinn whispered into it, "I still get butterflies too." With that said, she tore herself away from his body and started down the stairs to her car. At her little red Honda, she looked up to see Sam peering at her over the balcony. With a little wave, and a smirk from Sam, Quinn slipped into her car and drove away. The smile didn't leave her face the entire car ride home.

A couple days later, Sam finally had the courage to give Mercedes a call again. He took a walk down to the park about a half mile away from the apartment complex the Evans Family lived in. Sitting down on the end of a slide, Sam pulled his phone out. While it rang, he took a sip of his water and prayed that her bad mood was over. "Hi Cedes." he said softly, hoping she wasn't upset.

"Hey." she answered rather coldly. A frown swept over those plump lips and those pools of green rolled distinctly. Thank God she wasn't in front of him.

"Why are you so upset with me, Mercedes? I didn't do anything wrong." Sam said plainly. He just wanted this to be over. It was summer. They were teenagers. This was supposed to be a happy time.

"Why am I so upset with you?" she asked, her voice full of that Diva attitude she had earned within the past two years. "Samuel, you asked Quinn to babysit over me! Do you know what the stigma of babysittin' is? A boy and his girlfriend making out on the couch all night. That is what."

"Seriously? Do you think I don't watch movies? I know what the stig- expectation is, but that is not what happens when I babysit." Sam told her sternly. "I actually hang out with my little sister and brother. I love them. Quinn loves them too. That is why I asked her."

"You won't even give me a chance to love them." Mercedes spat out, huffing loudly into the receiver. Sam ran his hand over his brow, trying to figure out a way to make this better. However, he couldn't control the next things out of his mouth.

"Mercedes, I don't let people get close to my family. I really wish you could see that. Those kids have had too much heartbreak for a young age. I don't need them falling in love with something, or someone, else and then that person leaves. Quinn, even though her and I are over, hasn't left them. She still visits. She still walks Stacy home from school when she wants to stay after for Arts and Crafts. She brings them presents and she makes my life easier. She's my friend and nothing more. I really don't know what this is about." Finally saying what he wanted to say felt like a relief to the boy. He sighed, his shoulders hunching forward and the lines in his forehead easing out.

"If you don't understand my issue, Sam Evans, then you do not understand women as well as you think you do. Why don't you go ask your _friend_ what I mean, you damn jerk. I never thought you would make me feel this way. Goodbye." With that, Mercedes hung up the phone. Sam might not have thought she had a reason to be mad, but Mercedes saw through this whole charade. Her boyfriend was still in love with someone else. She would not be going down without a fight though. She had to fight for him, but how?

Laying out on a chaise lounge by Santana Lopez's pool, Quinn sighed heavily.

"What's with all the sighing, blondie? You're putting the biggest damper on my happy tanning day." the latina said, half joking, half not.

"Can I tell you something and you promise _not_ to tell?" Quinn asked, darting her eyes over her sunglasses to let Santana know that she was serious.

"What is it? The faster you tell, the sooner I can get to tanning my ta-tas."

"Um.." Quinn bit her lip slightly. "I saw Mercedes and Sam kissing on her front porch last week." Santana threw her sunglasses off her face and her chocolate brown eyes grew wider than Quinn had ever seen them open.

"You. Must. Be. Kidding." she said slowly. "That is just…. They don't even look appealing." Santana scoffed. "You two needs ta get back together and make your blonde babies. I can't handle this shit. What are you doing about it?" she asked Quinn.

"I-uh.. Huh? What do you mean, what am _I_ doing? I have no involvement."

"Oh please. The way that boy's tail wagged over you? Still does. I swear, if I had actually dated him to date him, I would have had to wear one of your frilly dresses and a blonde wig to turn him on. Good thing I wasn't using him for sex and just as a beard."

"You did a really bad job with that by the way." Santana squirted suntan lotion at Quinn for that comment.

"I hope your tan is uneven." she laughed, as Quinn rubbed it in on her stomach.

Santana's words would stick with Quinn all afternoon and well into the evening. What was she doing about it? Quinn still loved Sam. It was rather obvious by his nervous fumbling and intense want to see and text her at any given moment that he still loved her as well. Putting her sunglasses back over her eyes, Quinn began spinning the wheels in her head. What was her next step?


End file.
